Smart windows are designed to reduce the amount of energy consumed for climate control of buildings and transportation vehicles by controlling the amount of solar radiation that is transmitted into such buildings and vehicles, which produces interior heating via the greenhouse effect. Currently, smart window products are usually fabricated by apply the coatings to glass.
The switching speed of current smart windows is limited by the resistance of the transparent conductive films. As the size of smart windows is increased, the switching speed of smart windows decreases proportionally. If the voltage applied to smart windows is increased to speed switching, non-uniform switching would happen, where the outer areas of the windows switch more quickly. This problem, commonly referred to as the “iris effect,” is typically the result of the voltage drop along the transparent conductors from the outer to inner window areas.